More than 1,800 homeowners who paid a company that falsely claimed it could lower their mortgage payments are now receiving refund checks from the Federal Trade Commission. The agency is mailing nearly $3 million to consumers who were targeted by a telemarketing operation run under the names Golden Home Services and Home Matters USA. About half of the affected consumers live in California, and the checks must be cashed within 90 days.
Why these mortgage refund checks are going out now
The refunds stem from a federal enforcement case that began when the FTC and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation filed a joint lawsuit in September 2022. The agencies alleged that the operators used call centers to contact homeowners and falsely promise reduced monthly payments, foreclosure prevention, and connections to federal COVID and mortgage relief programs. Consumers paid upfront fees for services they never received or that produced no results.
A federal court order issued in early 2024 banned the operators from telemarketing and debt relief services and required them to turn over $19 million. That judgment set the stage for the refund pool now being distributed. The gap between the $19 million judgment and the nearly $3 million in actual refunds reflects a common pattern in FTC enforcement: courts order large sums, but defendants often lack the liquid assets to pay in full. The money that was recovered is now going directly back to the people who lost it.
How much 1,821 homeowners will receive from the Golden Home Services settlement
The FTC’s refund program has issued 1,821 checks totaling more than $2.8 million, administered by JND Legal Administration. Recipients have a 90-day window to deposit or cash their checks. Anyone who receives a check and has questions can verify the program through the FTC’s active refund listings or by contacting the refund administrator using the information provided in the mailing.
The scheme operated under multiple business names beyond Golden Home Services and Home Matters USA. Regulators identified a web of aliases designed to make the operation harder to track and to lend it an air of legitimacy. The operators specifically claimed affiliation with government relief programs tied to the pandemic, exploiting a period when millions of homeowners were genuinely seeking help with mortgage forbearance and payment restructuring.
The California governor’s office confirmed that about half of the affected consumers are in the state, which helps explain why the DFPI played a direct role alongside the FTC. California has been a frequent target for mortgage relief scams because of its large homeowner population and high housing costs, which make residents particularly responsive to promises of lower payments. State officials have framed the refunds as part of a broader effort to protect borrowers who fell behind during the pandemic and were aggressively targeted by fraudulent operators.
What the $19 million judgment has not yet resolved
The available enforcement records do not detail how much of the full $19 million judgment has been collected beyond the refund pool. That leaves open questions about whether additional funds could be recovered in the future through asset sales, payment plans, or follow-on actions. For now, the nearly $3 million in checks represents the portion of money the government has been able to secure and return to consumers.
Even when courts impose large monetary judgments, recovering the full amount can be difficult if defendants have already spent, hidden, or transferred much of the money obtained from victims. In such cases, regulators prioritize locating any remaining assets, freezing accounts, and unwinding transfers where possible. Whatever is successfully recovered is then distributed to affected consumers on a pro rata basis, which means individual refund amounts can vary depending on how much each person paid into the scheme.
The judgment also includes non-monetary relief that is significant even if the full dollar figure is never collected. By permanently barring the operators from telemarketing and mortgage or debt relief services, the order is designed to prevent them from launching similar businesses under new names. That type of conduct relief is a common feature of FTC and state enforcement actions, aimed at stopping ongoing harm and deterring future scams that could affect additional homeowners.
How homeowners can protect themselves from similar scams
Consumer advocates say the case offers several lessons for homeowners who may be struggling with their mortgage payments today. First, legitimate mortgage assistance programs generally do not require large upfront fees. Homeowners should be wary of any company that demands payment before providing help, especially if it guarantees specific outcomes like a precise new monthly payment or a promise that foreclosure will be stopped.
Second, borrowers should contact their loan servicer directly to discuss options such as forbearance, loan modification, or repayment plans. Servicers are required to provide information about available alternatives to foreclosure, and many lenders have hardship programs that do not involve third-party intermediaries. If a company claims to be working with a servicer or a government program, homeowners can independently confirm that by calling the servicer using the phone number on their mortgage statement.
Finally, consumers can check with state regulators or the FTC before signing up for any mortgage relief service. Many states maintain online license look-up tools for financial service providers, and the FTC regularly publishes alerts about emerging scams. Taking these steps can help homeowners avoid paying for promises that never materialize and reduce the risk of falling victim to the kind of scheme that led to the current round of refunds.
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David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
